Electric signaling apparatus.



PATENTED AUG. 4, 1903 H. W. SOUDBR.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 30, 1902.

s SHEETS-SHEET f0 ODEL No. 735,417. PATENTED AUG. 4, i903. H. W. SOUDER.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 30,,1902.

N0 MODEL.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

TI HIHHHHH lIlllIlllllH WITNESSES: 1 INVENTOR 2, ATTORNEY xo signaling apparatus, and more specifically NITED STATES Patented August 4, 1903.

PAT NT OFFICE.

HOWELL W. 'SOUDER, on TAMAQUA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO w. 1). ZEH E or LANSFORD, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING APPARATUS.

PECIFIOATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 735,417, dated August 4, 1903. 7

Application filed August 80, 1902.

Serial No. 121.548. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known-that I, HOWELL W. SOUDER, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Tamaqua, county of Schuylkill, 5 State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Signaling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates generally to electric consists of an improvedsafety-block system of electric signals designed for use on socalled trolley-roads? It is customary in such systems todivide the road up into blocks and place a signal at ornear the end of each block, such signals being operated by a car entering the block. When a car enters a block, the signals are set at danger ateach end, so that if the road is a single-track road no car will enter from the opposite direction, and if the road is a double-track or. two or more cars are running in company on a sin gle-track road'no car will enter the block in which the signals are set, except under control and maintaining a careful watch for the car in advance. In such systems a difficulty met with frequently is that the, near or home signal will be operated as the car enters the block, while the far signal-that is to say, the signal at the other end of the block-may not work through some mechanical disarrangement of the apparatus or grounding or short-circuiting of the electric connections. Consequently the motorman will go ahead at full speed, knowing that the signal behind him is set and supposing that the one ahead of .him has operated in the same way. The other end of the block, however, being unguarded, another car may enter and a serious collision occur in the middle of the block. My invention obviates this difficulty by pro ducingan arrangement of circuits and signaling apparatus, such that when a car enters a block and makes the necessary contact to energize the signahcircuit the current so supplied is first conducted to and through the apparatus of the far signal, and then said signal operates a circuit-closer which pernits the current to return to the near signal o andoperate that. In this wayit is impossible for the near signal to operate until the far signal has been thrown into the danger position. Consequently a car will never proceed beyond the entrance to the block with out the far signal being set at danger unless, of course, the motorman'runs blindly by a near signal which remains dead and inope erative before him.

gram of the same with theparts in the position they assume after a car has entered the block from the left. Fig. 3 is a simplified diagram of the loop-circuit, which is the main factor in my system. view of a special form of signal-operating magnet and armature, and Fig. 5 is an end view of the, same.

Throughout the drawings like reference characters indicate like parts.

' 1 represents a trolley-wire, and 2 the usual feed-wire. From the feed-wire extend the branches 3, 4:, 5, and 6 for energizing the magnets which operate the particular formof controllershown. V a

7 and Bare feed branches extending from the main feed-wire to the looped circuit connection, including the signals;

i The trolleywire is divided into two branches or turnouts at the end of each block, each of said turnouts having one of the contact-making devices 9, 51, 55, and 60, which cooperate with the trolley-wheel 100 to transmit current to the controller-operating magnets, the trolley-wheel always taking the go right-hand branch in whichever direction the car is going. Assuming a car to be entering from the left hand, as indicated,the circuit from the contact-making device 9 is through wire 10, magnet 11, wire 11, and resistance 11 to the ground. g i

12 is a pawl operated by the armature of magnet 11 and engaging ratchet-wheel 13, on which is mounted the switch 13.

14isacontact-piece ontowhich 13 is thrown [00 Fig. 4 is a detail side 70 contact-piece 18, which is connected by the wire 19 and resistance 20 to the ground. The circuit-closer 28 and the switch 17 are both operatively connected to the armature 21 of the magnet 16, and when said armature is attracted by the magnet the switch 17 is slid off of the contact 18 onto the contact 22. From contact 22 the wire 23 leads through the signal-lam ps L L L L U, which are arranged in series, and then through the wire 24 to the ground. The armature 21 is also operatively connected, as through a crank 25 and chain or rod 26, to semaphore 27, on which some of the lamps, as L L may be mounted. The second contact, cooperating with the circuit-closer 28, is connected by the wire with the contact-piece 31 of the righthand circuit controller. On this contactpiece 31 the switch 32 of the circuit-controller normally rests, and from this switch the wire 33 leads back to the left-hand end of the block, where it branches, one part running to one end of the coil of the left-hand signal-operating magnet 34, while the other branch 47 extends to a contact-piece which cooperates with a normally open circuitcloser 48. The other end of the'coils of the magnet 34 is connected by a wire 35 to the switch 36, which normally rests upon the contact 37, which is connected by wire 38 and resistance 39 with the ground. This switch 36 and the circuit-closer 48 are operatively connected to the pivoted armature of the magnet 34. When vibrated by said armature, the switch 36 slides off the contact 37 the contact-piece 50, on which the switch 13 normally rests.

51 is a contact device in the right-hand branch of the trolley-wire at the right-hand end of theblock (supposing the car to be traveling from left to right.) From this contact device runs the wire 52 to the left-hand end of the block, where it connects to one end of the coils of the magnet 53. The other end of this magnet-coil is connected to the wire 53, which is grounded through the resistance 53*.

54 is a pawl actuated by the armature of magnet 53 and acting on the ratchet-wheel13 to cause it to rotate in a reverse direction to that of the rotation produced by the pawl 12.

The wire 56 extends from the contact device 55 to one end of the coil of magnet 57. The other end of this magnet-coil is connected by the wire 57 through resistance 57 to the ground.

58 is a pawl controlled by the armature of magnet 57 and acting on ratchet-wheel 32 to swing switch 32 toward the right onto the contact-piece 59, to which the supply-wire 8 is connected.

The wire 61 extends from contact device 60 atthe left-hand end of the block over to the right-hand end of the block, where it is connccted to one end of the coil of magnet 62. The other end of the coil of this magnet is connected to wire 62 and resistance 62* to the ground. 63 is a pawl operated by this magnet, tending to produce rotation of the ratchet-wheel 32 in the reverse direction to that of the rotation produced by the pawl 58.

While circuit-controllers OfAllJQ type indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings may be employed, I prefer to use the particular form of circuit-controller illustrated, described, and claimed in my pending application, Serial No. 99,969.

Referring to Fig. 4, the signal-operating magnet 34 is shown in detail comprising the coils 70, 71, 72, and 73, connected in series and wound on core-pieces which are con-- nected together by elbows 74, 75, and 76. The core-pieces are so arranged as to form a nearly closed magnetic circuit,with their free ends pointing in opposite directions. The armature 40 is pivoted on shaft 77, and when the magnetic circuit is established it seeks to swing, so as to complete the pathway of soft iron for the magnetic lines of force to travel through. The switch 36 and circuit-closing piece 48 are carried on projections or crankarms from this shaft 77, as is also the short crank 44, which operates the semaphore-arm.

Such being the arrangement of circuits and apparatus, the operation of my invention is as follows: Suppose a car represented by the trolley-wheel 100 to enter the block at the left hand. The trolley-wheel completes the circuit through the contact-maker 9 and energizes the magnet 11 of the left-hand circuitcontroller. The pawl 12 operates the ratchetwheel 13 to swing the switch 13 onto the contact 14 of the supply-wire 7, all as shown in Fig. 2. The current then passes from the feed-Wire through wire 7, contact 14, switch 13*, and wire 15 to the other end of the block, where it passes through coils of magnet 16,

wire 17, switch 17 contact 18, wire 19, and

resistance 20 to the ground. The current flowing through the circuit so established energizes magnet 16 and pulls the armature 21 thereof into the position shown in Fig. 2. This operates the semaphore 27 through the crank 25 and connection 26, throwing the ICO IIO

semaphore into the position shown in Fig. 2, with the red lamp L raised and the green lamp L lowered. The same motion of the armature 21 slides the switch 17 off of the contact 18 onto the contact 22, so that the current, which has heretofore gone directly to the ground, passes on through the wire 23 to the lamps L L L L L and wire 24 to the ground. This causes the lamps to glow, with the result that the far signal at the right-hand end of the block has been operated and thrown into the danger position. The same motion of the armature of the signal-magnet throws the circuit-closer 28 down and bridges the gap between wires 29 and 30. A portion of the signal-current therefore passes onward 'to contact 31,through switch 32,back through contact 41, thereby causing the lamps L &c.

to glow in the manner heretofore described with reference to the lamps L, be. The result of the foregoing is that the near signal is similarly set at danger, and the motorman seeing the near signal set has absolute Gertainty that the far signal is similarly set and proceeds onward through the block in safety. As the car passes out of the block the trolleywheel takes the right-hand branch, again es-' tablishing a circuit through the contact device 51. The current flows through the wire 6, contact device 51, wire 52, back to the other end of the block, where it energizes magnet 53 and passes to the ground. The magnet 53 attracts the armature carried by pawl 54,

which gives the ratchet-wheel 13 a rotation it of one tooth to the right, throwing switch 13 back into the position shown in Fig.1 and cutting off the feed-current from the signalcircuit. The semaphores 27 and 46 being counterweighted or spring-controlled drop back into the position shown in Fig. 1 with the green lamps raised, showing that the block is empty, and the signal-lamps cease to glow. If a car enters the block to the right, it of course engages contact 55, which energizes magnet 57, throws switch 32 onto feed-contact 59, sends the current through wire 33 to the left-hand signal-magnet 36, which when energized operates the left-hand signal in the manner before described and the circuit nor before described.

closer 48. This establishes a shunt-circuit through wire 47, wire 49, contact 50, switch 13, and wire 15 to the right-hand or near signal, causing the same to operate in the man- On passing out of the left-hand end of the block the trolley-wheel engages contact device 60, which sends a current through wire 61, back to magnet. 62,

i watch.

which reverses the right-hand circuit-controller and again cuts out the signals. It is evident that whichever end of the block a. car enters the circuits are so established that the current passes through the looped-circuit connection of the signal system in the direction shownby the arrows in Figs. -1, 2, and 3, or in the opposite direction to the hands of a It is a characteristic of my signaling system that the current always passes in the one direction around the signal-circuits. Of course the circuits could be so arranged that the current would always run in the opposite directionthat is to say, in the direction in which the hands of a watch movebut whichever arrangement is adopted the current follows that way no matter which way the car is running.

The above-described feature of operation and the essential characteristics of the loop into which the signal-circuit connections are formed are shown in a simplified manner in Fig. 3. It will be seen that there are inserted in the looped-circuit connection (there represented as a rectangle) a pair of feed-supply switches which when closed during the ab sence of a car in the block serve to form part of the looped-circuit connection, but which when operated by the entry of a car into the block break the loop at that point and cut in a feed connection. There are also inserted a pair of signal-operating magnets and a pair of normally open circuit-closers. These three pairs of elements are arranged symmetrically about the looped-circuit connectionthat is to say, the respective members of each pair are always diametrically opposite one another, so that between the two members of each pair there is always included on each side one of the members of each of the other two pairs. The arrangement is such that traveling around the looped-circuit connection in the direction of the fiow of the current, as indicated bythe arrows, the order of the elements will be supply-switch, signalmagnet, circuit-closer, supply-switch, signalmagnet and circuit-closer.

l I have preferably shown the contacts 37', 41, 18, and 22, with which the switches 36 and 17 cooperate, so proportioned that the switches will momentarily bridge the space between the contacts in passing from one to the other.

Thus the direct ground connection for the magnet-coils is not cut out until after the ground connection through the lamp-circuit has been established. This insures a continuous action of the magnet and prevents any possibility of the signal-operating device stopping half-way through the breaking of open through-the failure of the circuit-closer 48 to close'the gap between contacts 47 and 49, and consequently there would be no current to pass on and operate the near signal.

The advantages of my invention comprise the great security resulting from the impossibility of operating the near signal until the far signal has been first operated and the certainty of action resulting from the powerful form of signal-magnet shown.

It is evident,of course, that various changes could be made in the details of construction and arrangement of circuits illustrated without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Other forms of semaphores and signals and signal-operatin g means might be substituted for those shown. Different forms of signal-magnet might be employed. Gonnections whereby the circuit-closer and the lamp-circuit switch are operated simultaneously with the semaphore might be varied. Other forms of main-circuit controller and contact-making devices might be substituted, and the arrangement described, whereby a permanent circuit is maintained through the signali-magnet coils while the signal is set at dangerj might be departed from; but these and similar modifications I should consider mere mechanical equivalents and still within the limits of my invention.

. It is evident that if the form of circuit-controller described in my before-mentioned application, Serial No. 99,969,Were employed the duplicate resetting-circuits 52 and 61 might be combined into one circuit having branch ground connections which could be alternately switched in and out, as fully described in said prior application. It is also apparent that the essential combination of elements constituting the characteristic feature of my present invention, as illustrated in Fig. 3, would operate in the same general manner whether the ground connections 19 and 38 were shifted during the operation from direct ground to lamp-circuit ground, as described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2, or whether said ground connections were permanent, either through the lamp-circuit or otherwise. Such latter arrangement, as indicated in Fig. 3, would of course eliminate switches 17 and 36 and any possible bad efiects of sparking at such points.

Having therefore described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is

1. In an electric block-signal system, the combination of signal-operating mechanism located near each end of the block, a circuitcloser operatively connected to each signal mechanism, an electric circuit in which both said circuit-closers and said signal-operatin g mechanisms are included, means actuated by a car entering either end of the block to supply current to the circuit, set the far-signaloperating mechanism and throw the corresponding circuit-closer, whereby the current is sent back through the circuit so completed to the near signal also.

2. In an electric block-signal system, the combination of a looped-circuit connection for each block, a signal mechanism near each end of the loop, an electromagnet for operating each signal mechanism whose coils are included in the looped-circuit connection, a normally open circuit-closer in the loopedcircuitconnection near each signal mechanism and connected thereto so as to operate simul'- taneously therewith, a branch feed-wire adjacent to the loop near each signal-station, suitable return connections for completing circuits through said branch feed-wire and portions of the loop back to the source of current-supply, a normally closed switch in the looped-circuit connection adjacent to each branch feed-wire and adapted to connect with same when the looped-circuit connection is opened by movement of said switch, and means actuated by a car entering either end of a block to throw the switch at that end into connection with its corresponding branch feed-wire.

3. In an electric block-signal system, the combination of a looped-circuit connection for each block, a signal mechanism near each end of the loop, an electromagnet for operating each signal mechanism whose coils are included in, the looped-circuit connection, a normally open circuit-closer in the circuit near each signal mechanism and connected thereto so as to operate simultaneously therewith, a branch feed-wire adjacent to the loop near each signal-station, suitable return connections for completing circuits through said branch feed-wire and portions of the loop back to the source of current-supply, a normally closed switch in the looped-circuit connection adjacent to each branch feed-wire and adapted to connect with same when the looped-circuit connection is opened by movement of said switch, and means actuated by a car entering either end of a block to throw the switch at that end into connection with its corresponding branch feed-wire, together with means actuated by a car passing out of the block to throw said switch back into the line and so cut out the feed connection.

4. In an electric block-signal system, the combination of a looped-circuit connection for each block, asignal mechanism near each end of the loop, an electromagnet for operating each signal mechanism whose coils are in-- cluded in the looped-circuit connection, a normally open circuit-closer in the looped-circuit connection near each signal mechanism and connected thereto so as to operate simultaneously therewith, a ground connection for each magnet-coil, and means whereby the same is cnt out as the circuit-closer operates, a branch feed-wire adjacent to the loop near each signal-station, a normally closed switch in the looped-circuit connection adjacent to each branch feed-wire and adapted to connect with same when the looped-circuit connection is opened by movement of said switch, and means actuated by a car entering either end connected thereto so as tooperate simultaneously therewith, a branch feed-wire adjacent to the loop near each signal-station, suitable return connections for completing circuits through said branch feed-wire and portions of the loop back to the source of current-supply, a normally closed switch in the loopedcircuit connection'adjacent to each branch feed-wire and adapted to connect with same when the looped-circuit connection is opened by movement of said switch, and means actuated by a car entering either end of a block to throw the switch at that end into connection with its corresponding branch feed-wire, the connection so established leading first to the magnet operating the far signal.

6. In an electric block-signal system, the

i combination of a looped-circuit connection for each block, a signal mechanism near each end of the loop, an electromagnet for operating each signal mechanism whose coils are included in the looped-circuit connection,a normally open circuit-closer in the looped-circuit connection near each signal mechanism and connected thereto so as to operate simultaneously therewith, a ground connection for each magnet-coil, a signal-lamp circuit and means whereby the ground is cut out and the lamp circuit is cut in simultaneously with the movement of the circuit-closer, a branch feedwire adjacent to the loop near each signalstation,a normally closed switch in the loopedcircuit connection adjacent to each branch feed-wire and adapted to connect with same when the looped-circ uit connection is opened by movement of said switch, and means actuated by a car entering either endof a block to throw the switch at that end into connection with its corresponding branch feed-wire.

7. In an electric block -signal system, a looped-circuit connection including a pair of normally closed switches, a pair of normally open circuit-closers, and a pair of electromagnets one of which operates each circuit-closer, together with a pair of branch feed connections one being adjacent to each closed switch and adapted to connect therewith when the switch is opened, and suitable return con nec- I tions for completing circuits through said branch feed-wire and portions ofthe loop back to the source of current-supply.

8; In an electric blocksignal system, a looped-circuitconnection including a pair of normally closed switches, a pair of normally opencircuit-closers, and a pair of electromagnets one of which operates each circuit-closer,

together with a pair of branch feed connections one being'adjacent to each closed switch I and adapted to connect therewith when thements is always to be found between the members of any particular pair, and suitable return connections for completing circuits through said branch feed-wire and portions of the loop back to the source of currentsupply.

9. In an electric block signal system, a looped-circuit connection includinga pair of normally closed switches, a pair of normally open circuit-closers, and a pair of electromagnets one of which operates each circuitcloser, together with a pair of branch feed connections, one being adjacent to each closed switch and adapted to connect therewith when the switch is opened, and suitable return connections for completing circuits through said branch feed-wire and portions of the loop back to the source of current-supply, the order of elements being a switch, a magnet and a circuit-closer as one follows the loop around in the direction of the current.

10. In an electric signaling system, the combination of an electromagnet, a normal ground connection therefor, a signal-lamp circuit, a signal-circuit, and a normallyopen circuit-closer therein, together with the armature for the magnet and operative connections such that the movement of the armaturewhen attracted by the magnet, cuts out the normal ground, cuts in the lamp-circuit and closes the circuit throughout the signalcircuit.

11. In an electric signaling system, the combination of an electromagnet, a normal ground connection therefor, a signal-lamp circuit, a signal-circuit, and a normally open circuit-closer therein, together with the arma ture for the magnet and operative connections such that the movement of the armature when attracted by the magnet, cuts out the normal ground, cuts in the lamp-circuit and closes the circuit throughout the branch signal-circuit, together with a semaphore on which one or more of said signal-lamps are 'mounted and operative connections between said armature and semaphore-arm.

12. In an electric block-signal system, the combination of signal-operating mechanism located near each end of the block, a circuitcloser operatively connected to each signal mechanism, an electric circuit in which both said circuit-closers and said signal-operating mechanisms are included, means actuated by a car entering either end of the block to supply current to the circuit, set the far-signaloperating mechanism only and throw the corresponding circuit-closer, whereby the current is sent back through the circuit so completed to the near signal also.

13. In an electric signaling system, the combination of an electromagnet and its armatare-,a semaphore operatedbysaid armature, and the magnet-armature whereby the siggronnd connections for one terminal of the nal-circuit is closed when the semaphore-arm IO magnet-coils, a signal-circuit, a branch conis actuated.

nection from said signal-circuit to the other Signed at New York city, New York.

5 end of the magnet-coi1s,a normally open cir- HOWELL W. SOUDER.

cuit-cioser located in said signal-circuit be- Witnesses: yond the above-described branch, and oper- DAVID J. LEWIS,

' -ative connections between the circuit-closer ELMER WERNER. 

